The availability and quality of natural resources for jet, gas turbine, rocket, and diesel fuels presents unique and difficult technical challenges. An identified problem is the increasing demand for jet and diesel fuels for aircraft and for motor vehicles. As quality requirements for fuels are increasing, the ability to produce acceptable fuels from a conventional petroleum barrel of crude is decreasing. Due to the fact that conventional barrels of crude are becoming, on the average, heavier (e.g., more polycyclic) and containing more sulfur, the need for acceptable fuels is an unmet need. At the same time, the drive for cleaner fuels results in highly hydrogenated, less dense fuels that result from processing to remove sulfur and polycyclics such as naphthalenes. It is believed that highly purified conventional fuels and highly paraffinic Fischer-Tropsch fuels are of lower densities, lack seal swelling abilities, and lubricity. Restrictions on gasoline content make available carbon containing components not having any immediate uses, such as benzene, butanes, butanes, and methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE).
Circulating fuel in and around an aircraft commonly provides the sole means of cooling engines, lubes, electronics, wings, etc. of an aircraft. Significantly increased heat loads are an identified problem as fuel economy/performance considerations raise engine temperatures. More flights are using polar routes and therefore fuels must now withstand broader temperature ranges from extreme cold to hot temperatures. The ability to raise fuel flash point to 60° C. or more while maintaining pour points below −60° C. remains an unmet need. Another desired result of raising flash points above present specifications is desirable to increase chances of surviving crashes or fires when fueling and flying aircraft.
It is also desired to have a flexible and diversified fuel source so that not only are materials for fuels derived from petroleum based components, but may be derived from natural gas, coal, petroleum reside, biomass, and waste feedstocks via syngas. However, such flexibility and diversification is currently not widely available. Therefore, there exists a need to address the issues discussed hereinabove.